Coconut Macaroons

A couple of weeks ago, I asked my twitter and Facebook followers to pass along their favorite cookie recipes for the holidays and you guys sent some great ones! These are the first up and the recipe came from Michelle in NY whose parent’s diner I worked at when I was in high school! These soft and chewy cookies are buttery and creamy with coconut right in the dough and then rolled in even more coconut before baking! They’re super sweet but if you love coconut, you’ll love these and the little touch of chocolate from the Hershey’s kisses pressed in right after cooking make them the perfect little bite! If you think it’s going to be just too much coconut, leave it out of the cookie batter and just roll it around the dough balls!

3. Turn the speed of the mixer down and slowly add in the dry ingredients a little at a time.

4. Once all incorporated, stir in 3 loosely packed cups of sweetened flaked coconut. Cover and chill in the fridge for an hour.

5. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into 1″ balls and then roll each ball in more coconut {about 2 more cups coconut}. Bake on baking sheets 12-14 minutes {I baked our 12 and would bake for a couple extra minutes next time}.

6. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a hershey’s kiss into each one. Our batter made 40 cookies so that’s how many we had unwrapped and ready to go once the cookies came out of the oven. Allow to cool completely before packing them up!

Have some great tried-and-true holiday cookie recipes? Send them on over {makingitwithdanielle@gmail.com} so I can make them and post this holiday season!

Coconut Macaroons

Makes 40 cookies

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, room temp

3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp almond extract

2 tsp orange juice

Approx. 5 cups sweetened flaked coconut

40 Hershey’s kisses, unwrapped

In a small bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking powder then set aside. In a stand mixer combine the butter, cream cheese and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolk, almond extract and orange juiceand continue beating until well incorporated. Turn the speed of the mixer down and slowly add in the dry ingredients a little at a time. Once all incorporated, stir in 3 cups of the coconut. Cover and chill in the fridge for an hour. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into 1″ balls and then roll each ball in more coconut. Bake on baking sheets 12-14 minutes. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, press a hershey’s kissinto each one. Allow to cool completely before packing them up!